'Respect' barriers brought in for junior football

Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam made tackling abuse in grassroots sport a priority when he was appointed chair of the Lincolnshire FA in 2023

Children's football matches in Lincolnshire will be abandoned if parents and spectators ignore new "respect" barriers, the former deputy medical officer of England has said.

Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, who became a household name during the Covid-19 pandemic, is now the head of the Lincolnshire Football Association.

From the start of the upcoming 2024/25 season, a physical barrier will be mandatory for every youth match to prevent people from entering the field of play.

Sir Jonathan said the rule had been brought in after an increase in complaints about the conduct of coaches and spectators.

"There will be fines if the barriers are not in place and there is evidence that they do actually stop spectators from entering the field of play," he said.

"Our referees are also being instructed that if anyone enters the field of play then the match will be abandoned. It doesn't matter whether it's in the first minute or the 89th."

'Enough is enough'

The barriers have been brought in following a consultation with clubs, officials and players.

Sir Jonathan, who has previously described witnessing "disgusting" behaviour at games, said the feedback had been "pretty damning".

The Boston United supporter added: "It's a small minority. The vast majority of spectators and parents turn up and try to be encouraging to their team.

"This is about children enjoying themselves, getting exercise, learning to love football, and they're not going to do that in the wrong environment.

"We're very clear that enough is enough."

The lifelong Boston United supporter can often be spotted at matches around the country

The changes have already been ratified by several leagues in Lincolnshire and will be introduced across the county.

Gemma Bell, who coaches the junior teams at Lincoln United, told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that she welcomed the "fantastic" move.

"Sometimes I think parents and spectators get carried away with what they've seen on the TV or with their own opinion of what the children should be doing," she said.

"I think the respect barriers are an ideal way to remind people why they're at the matches and how we expect them to behave".

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